[Added 5-4-2010 STM by Art. 7]
The regulation of outdoor lighting is intended to enhance public
safety and welfare by providing for adequate and appropriate outdoor
lighting, provide for lighting that will complement the character
of the Town, reduce glare, minimize light trespass, and reduce the
cost and waste of unnecessary energy consumption.
The following outdoor lighting shall be exempt from the specific
requirements of this bylaw but any such lighting shall, nevertheless,
be placed and directed so as to minimize the detrimental effects of
glare on motorists, pedestrians and abutting lots:
A.
Outdoor lighting that is accessory to a one- or two-family dwelling
use on a lot where such a use is the principal use.
B.
Outdoor temporary holiday lighting, provided it is illuminated only
during traditional holiday periods.
C.
Outdoor municipal lighting which shall be guided by a municipal outdoor
lighting policy.
D.
Traffic lights.
E.
Warning and alarm lights that alert to a malfunction or emergency
situation.
F.
Lighting of flagpoles.
In addition to the terms defined in § 325-2 of this bylaw, the following technical terms applying to lighting shall have the meaning indicated below. Although set forth here for convenience, the terms shall have the same effect as if set forth in § 325-2, Definitions.
Light emitted from the lamp, off the reflector or reflector
diffuser, or through the refractor or diffuser lens, of a luminaire.
The assembly that houses a lamp or lamps, and which may include
a housing, a mounting bracket or pole socket, a lamp holder, a ballast,
a reflector or mirror, and/or a refractor, lens, or diffuser lens.
A measurement of the amount of light reaching an object.
A footcandle is the measurement of the intensity of one lumen of light
falling on one square foot of surface area one foot away from the
source.
A lamp and fixture assembly designed with a cutoff angle
of 90°, so that no direct light is emitted above a horizontal
plane.
Light emitted from a luminaire with an intensity great enough
to produce annoyance, discomfort, or a reduction in a viewer's ability
to see.
The vertical distance from the finished grade of the ground
directly below to the lowest direct light emitting part of the luminaire.
The component of a luminaire that produces the actual light.
A lighting device that may be secured to a wall, ceiling,
pole, or post and is used to hold one or more lamps. Lighting fixtures
are designed to distribute the light, to position and protect the
lamp(s), and to connect the lamp(s) to the electrical power supply.
The shining of direct light produced by a luminaire beyond
the boundaries of the lot or parcel on which it is located.
A measure of light energy generated by a light source. One
footcandle is one lumen per square foot. For purposes of this bylaw,
the lumen output shall be the initial lumen output of a lamp, as rated
by the manufacturer.
A complete lighting system, including a lamp or lamps and
a fixture.
The nighttime illumination of an outside area or object by
any man-made device that produces light, including lights located
indoors which are directed for outdoor illumination.
A.
Any luminaire with a lamp or lamps rated a total of more than 2,000
lumens (as reference, a one-hundred-watt incandescent lamp emits about
1,750 lumens) shall be of fully shielded design and shall not emit
any direct light above a horizontal plane passing through the lowest
part of the light emitting luminaire.
B.
All luminaires shall be equipped with whatever shielding, lenses,
or cutoff devices are required to eliminate light trespass onto any
street or abutting lot or parcel and to minimize glare perceptible
to persons on any street or abutting lot or parcel.
C.
All luminaires shall be fully shielded and directed downward, except
that the walls of any building or freestanding sign may be up-lit
to a limited extent as long as the direct light from the light fixture
shall be confined to the surface of such sign or building.
Outdoor lighting shall not be illuminated between midnight and
6:00 a.m. with the following exceptions:
A.
If the use is being operated, such as a business open to customers,
or where employees are working or where an institution or place of
public assembly is conducting an activity, normal illumination shall
be allowed during the activity and for not more than 1/2 hour prior
to and after the activity ceases.
B.
Low-level lighting sufficient for the security of persons or property
on the lot may be in operation between midnight and 6:00 a.m., provided
the average illumination on the ground or on any vertical surface
is not greater than 0.5 footcandle.
Lighting levels shall be limited to that needed for good visibility.
Guidelines for average illumination levels of area to be lit are:
Wherever outside lighting is proposed, every application for a building permit, a special permit, a special permit with site plan review, a variance, or an electrical permit, shall be accompanied by a lighting plan which shall show the location and type of any outdoor luminaires, including the height of the light fixture; the light fixture manufacturer's specification data, including lumen output and photometric data showing cutoff angles; the type of lamp such as metal halide, compact fluorescent, or high-pressure sodium; and a photometric plan showing the intensity of illumination at ground level, expressed in footcandles. The lighting plan shall demonstrate by manufacturer's data, cross section drawings, or other means that all luminaries shall comply with the requirements of § 325-130.
